Starting in the summer of 2008, the Electronic Library began offering technology seminars based on Educause Learning Initiative's "7 Things You Should Know About ..." series. The 7 Things series provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each one-hour session focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning.

This summer's seminars will all be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoons in Jones 105. Please see the complete list of seminars below with a description of the topic and the date it will be offered. To register, visit the Training & Development system. After you log in to the Training & Development system, you can isolate the 7 Things seminars from the other POD offerings by selecting "ITS" from the "Select Dept" options.

A new breed of tools is emerging that allow faster and easier creation of infographics. These tools provide templates, examples, and drag-and-drop functionality that allow creators to focus their efforts on the concept rather than also having to worry about creating the graphic. Infographics encourage fast prototyping and offer the opportunity to expand visual learning and thinking into fields where visual aspects of communication are not always included.

An emerging class of online tools allow users to quickly and easily gather, organize, and share collections of online resources, particularly visual content. These applications make it easy to collect and post disparate bits of content. In academic settings, they can facilitate more visual thinking and discussion among students while providing a means to share collections of online content.

A massively open online course (MOOC) is a model for delivering learning content online to virtually any person-and as many of them-who wants to take the course. Although this dynamic will make some students uneasy and will force instructors to rethink some elements of their courses, the MOOC can potentially alter the relationship between learner and instructor and between academe and the wider community.

A microlecture is a short recorded audio or video presentation on a single, tightly defined topic. Public microlecture sites such as Khan Academy and TED-Ed have made the format a familiar staple of informal learning. These short lectures encourage a self-directed model of learning, allowing students to select lessons to watch and to move through them at their own pace.

A makerspace is a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build. Makerspaces provide tools and working room in a community environment-a library, community center, private organization, or campus. Many are primarily used for technological experimentation, hardware development, and idea prototyping.

Alternative classroom designs have emerged that support collaborative learning and shift the focus away from lecture-based formats. Collaborative learning spaces typically feature the ability to reconfigure seating to accommodate a variety of teaching methods. Such spaces enable alternative pedagogies that allow for more inquiry and investigative work.

3D printing is the process of creating an object using a machine that puts down material layer by layer until the desired object is formed. This process of creating 3D models is much faster than many traditional methods of creating prototypes or replicas of existing objects, facilitating an innovative culture of learning in which students can quickly move from imagination to the production of a solid model.